Extend Thy Hand

During a hike in the woods, a troop of Boy Scouts came across an abandoned section of railroad track. Each, in turn, tried walking the rails but eventually lost his balance and tumbled off.

Suddenly, two of the boys, after considerable whispering, offered to bet they could both walk the entire length of the track without falling off. Challenged to make good their boasts, the two boys jumped up on opposite rails, extended a hand to balance each other, and walked the entire section of track with no difficulty whatever.

There, in a nutshell, is a principle of modern business and community living. The day of the hermit and the lone wolf is gone forever. We do things better, we produce more, and we live better by helping each other.

Those who lend a helping hand benefit themselves at the same time they help others.

The reverse is also true. When we don't help each other, when we don't cooperate, the whole system starts to rattle and shake. When there's no cooperation -- no spirit of the helping hand freely given -- what might have been pleasant jobs become grudging chores.